224 MISCELLANEOUS. 



shooting. My friend who was with me saw the reptile 

 suddenly spring up at the edge of a small bund as I crossed 

 He fired at once and killed it within a yard of me. 



The Bangalore country was full of cobras. I shot 

 three during my first day's florican shooting in the 

 large grass slopes near Soubadors Chettrum. Strong 

 gaiters to within a few inches of the knee render one 

 practically safe. If bitten, there were two alternatives 

 to blow the piece out with the gun or to cut it out with a 

 knife ; there would then be some chance of life, but, 

 otherwise, absolutely none. A dusky hamadryad once 

 struck at me in Burmah ; he was in a small box, and for 

 some seconds I was not sure whether he had bitten me or 

 not ; luckily he missed his shot. This snake is allied to the 

 cobra, and is a cannibal, eating his own tribe death ensues 

 about half an hour after being bitten. Many fatal cases 

 occur among natives, but those among Europeans are 

 extremely rare owing to their feet and legs being protected. 

 There is a rather mythical creature named a bis -cobra, 

 which the natives declare to be more deadly than the 

 cobra. Those that have been pointed out to me were 

 a smooth kind of lizard, striped with yellow, and snake-like 

 in appearance, but of timorous nature, but they have 

 the reputation of being aggressive at certain seasons, 

 when their bite is said to be the precursor of imme- 

 diate death. 



Similar tales are extant of the large spider, so common 

 in the bungalows, which the Tamil servants call a " jerry - 

 mundlum." He is probably a species of " tarantula," but 

 is, so far as my experience goes, a most harmless one. 



With regard to aiming head and neck shots being 

 considered exceptional the usual place with all animals is 

 behind the shoulder blade and half way between the top of 



